Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Many clinical reports have demonstrated that traumatic brain injury can accelerate fracture healing. But this phenomenon has not been assessed by bone mineral density.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of traumatic brain injury on fracture healing using bone mineral density tests.
METHODS: A total of 25 patients with traumatic brain injury complicated by femoral shaft fracture and 25 patients with femoral shaft fracture were included. All patients underwent reduction and received internal fixation using steel plate with screws. At 6 and 12 weeks after surgery, callus volume was determined by X-ray examination. At 1, 3, and 5 weeks after surgery, bone mineral density value in the fractured region was determined using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Callus volume in patients with simple femoral shaft fracture was significantly increased at 12 weeks after surgery than at 6 weeks after surgery. But the callus volume in patients with traumatic brain injury complicated by femoral shaft fracture was increased both at 6 and 12 weeks after surgery, and it was larger than that in patients with simple femoral shaft fracture. At 1, 3, 5 weeks after surgery, bone mineral density value was gradually increased in patients with traumatic brain injury complicated by femoral shaft fracture and it was also higher than the corresponding value at the same time point in patients with simple femoral shaft fracture. These results showed that traumatic brain injury can increase the callus volume during healing of femoral shaft fracture, boost the bone mineral density value in the fractured region, and shorten fracture healing time.